Let's hear about Church Christmas Parties you attended when active?

I found out last night, the party organised at my old Branch and run by a family of absolute idiots is going to be no fun and no excitement. No chocolate, No coke, No Santa, no loud music and to be over at 830 by latest!

When I ran them, it had all of the above, members loved it and had so much fun, and if I remember rightly we didn't stop partying until 10pm! I was there until the wee hours of Sabbath tidying. But was worth it. I knew it was my last one, so went way over on the budget ;).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2017 01:53PM by thegame2017.

thegame2017 Wrote:
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> ...we didn't stop partying until 10pm!

You party animal, you! :)

All I remember about ward christmas parties (when they had them) from my youth is that I didn't want to be there...:(

All I recall was that the Christmas Parties at Bingham Terrace used to be pretty good affairs when I was kid. Then as correlation started to bit, and centralized funding took over, the parties withered to about the standard of what you are talking about.

The committee didn't want just a dinner or even to have a dinner. One of them wanted to tell the orange story and hand out oranges. Someone else wanted to have her husband do magic tricks. There was something else they wanted to do, too, and they did it. I don't remember what it was, but it was church oriented. We had cookies and cake. We had A LOT of complaints that we didn't have a dinner. I WAS NOT pleased with the party. it seemed to turn out just fine, but I hated being in charge (like I got any say in it). Oh, we gave out Christmas tree sugar cookies as they left the party made by your's truly. One other person helped make the cookies. Everyone else couldn't be bothered, even though they wanted them. So much work for so little enjoyment.

We were going inactive at the time. I think it was the bishopric trying to get us back involved. It very much didn't work. Most of the Christmas parties I remember were dinners. I never wanted to go. My husband coerced me into it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2017 02:21PM by cl2.

OK, since it was apparently after my time, I have to ask:

What's the "orange story?"

Donald Trump??

They have a pamphlet they sell at Deseret Book and Seagull Books at Christmas with the story in it. I'm going to see if I can find it on line and get back to you. It obviously had a profound effect on me.

My ward's were usually pretty bland, but pleasant. There was a nice spread of food and dessert, Christmas music, and one of the larger high priests would be there in a Santa suit. They were really just sort of Holiday mixers, but I had a decent time. I could tell that the people who organized it really wanted it to be nice for people, which I appreciated.

The party committee decided that it wasn't spiritual to have Santa at the Ward Christmas party. So they decided to have the three wise men deliver gifts to the children.
It seemed like an ok idea until all the little children started asking, "Mommy, why is the bishopric in bathrobes?"

My ward Christmas party:

Santa

Kids running and screaming.

Red punch.

adults talking.

The end.

Ward Christmas parties rank right down there with work parties:

You only go out of duty, you suffer through the boring programs or speeches, and you leave as soon as you can.

But ward parties are slightly worse because a) the food is much worse and b) there is no chance you'll get some kind of gift or bonus at the end.

Mormon Christmas parties are not at all like work parties! At a work party, you know at least 50 people, and at least 10 of them are considered to be friends. (One of the following: Someone you talk to just to talk, or someone with whom you share a common interest, someone you go to lunch with, someone who has been in your home, or someone who has actually invited you into their home, instead of chatting on the doorstep in a snowstorm. A friend is a mutual give-and-take relationship, not just one sided, with them demanding, and you giving.

Work parties are loud with conversation, on all subjects. Work parties are loud with laughter--even before the drinking starts. There's usually live music, white elephant gift exchanges, professionally catered food that is still hot (or cold). Some of the parties are charity fund-raisers, or we are asked to bring a toy for tots, etc.

At work parties, we women can wear bling! The men don't have to wear ties. We can stand around, and dance in comfortable shoes.

Yes, there is (gasp) dancing. Often there is singing--and not organized director-led singing, but singing that comes from the joy of Christmas.

Work parties are at various venues, or at private homes--not in a drafty, cold gym, with echoes of metal chairs clanking and kids screaming (screaming in an unhappy manner, not screaming from happiness). At work parties, we don't have to clean up the garbage, mop the floors, fold and put away the chairs, etc. We go home with a full stomach, and a full heart, and often a full wallet.

OOps, this was supposed to be on the subject of church Christmas parties. Well, just take my descriptions of work parties, and church parties are the OPPOSITE of those.

I agree, work parties are different, as not only is the food often better, it's safer because when it's catered, hot foods are kept hot, and cold foods are kept cold. It's also prepared in a kitchen that's kept to higher cleanliness standards than many home kitchens are.

I, too, am curious about the orange story. Please share.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2017 02:06AM by scmd.

Ah, but the after-parties, when mom & dad "whop it up" in the bedroom!

I remember one really FUN Christmas party when I lived down in New Orleans 40 or so years ago.

We had a progressive dinner -- appetizer at one member's house, salad at a different member's house, main meat entree at another member's house, and so on. I think the meal was spread over 7 homes, if I remember correctly, and you'd drive from one home to another. The families who hosted the dinner really went out of their way to make the visit enjoyable and the food delicious.

It really was FUN! But back then, the church would reimburse members for the food and decorations, so families weren't out any money. Just the time they spent doing all of that. Which most of them enjoyed.

I know I enjoyed it, because I was in charge of desserts (my favorite job) - I made homemade cheese cake, chocolate cupcakes, blueberry and cherry pie, etc. In other words, all my favorite desserts. And the church did reimburse me for the expense. But that was in the 1970s.